]]>Fall is officially here and I’m welcoming it in with open arms. I love fall–the pumpkin and apple picking, the refreshing cooler air, and cozying up with a pumpkin-spiced latte (which I guess, according to Martha Stewart, makes me “a basic b*tch.”). I saw this post on Instagram from @fulcandles (whose account is hysterical btw) and it got me thinking about my favorite F-words for fall. While food is definitely high on my list, some of the others may surprise you.

1. Fat: Yes, you read that right. FAT is one of my very favorite words. Want to know why? It’s because “fat” is really just a descriptor of a body size and those within the fat-positive community are doing incredible work to reclaim this word in an empowering way. I also love how using this f-word can open up conversations with people about fatphobia and weight stigma. Now, I say this from a position of thin-privilege and I know that not everyone enjoys this word as much as I do. Because of this, I’m cautious about how I use it. This word can hold a lot of pain for many people. But I think it’s essential to challenge our beliefs about fat and have these difficult conversations (if you feel up to it). Investigating our own internalized fatphobia is key to beginning to unravel so much of our body hatred. Read more about my thoughts on using the word here!

2. Falling leaves: There’s nothing as quintessentially fall as falling leaves, and I think that embracing the symbolism of fall can be a wonderful thing to think about when cultivating our intentions for the next few months. The falling leaves represent transition, and transition is something our bodies do all of the time. It can be difficult to tolerate these changes, but just as the seasons change, so do we! Can you set an intention to turn towards these changes with acceptance and compassion? I know it’s easier said than done. If you’re looking for more tips on how to manage body changes, be sure to check out my Facebook Live video on YouTube about updating your fall wardrobe!

3. Fall Foods: So many fall-themed activities center around food. Think apple picking with friends and family, apple cider donuts, Halloween candy (candy corn, yum!), and of course, Thanksgiving. This fall, see how you relate to food. Challenge yourself to enjoy the activities that focus on food, without panic. When we practice mindful eating, we can start to develop a more peaceful and pleasurable relationship with food. If you want to learn more about how to embrace the deliciousness of fall foods without fear and conflict, check out my free mindful eating introduction course.

4. Fright: Some of us think that the scariest part of Halloween is the abundance of candy. Fall can bring up feelings of fear and conflict around our eating and our bodies. While these fears are to be expected in our culture that makes us cuckoo about food and weight, it’s important to recognize that the only thing to be feared is diet-culture. It’s this culture that is broken, not our bodies! If you’re looking to get your fall dose of fright, pop in a scary movie instead of fearing food or your body.

The Anti-Diet Plan signature mindfulness-based course is going online! We’ll be launching this fall exclusively to my email list subscribers and social media followers. Stay tuned for more exciting news on this new program–and don’t forget to sign-up for The Anti-Diet Plan FREE 30-day introductory course for a taste of program.

]]>3 Tips to Go Back-to-School with a Body-Positive Attitude (and Leave Your Comparison Game at Home!)https://drconason.com/3-tips-go-back-school-body-positive-attitude-leave-comparison-game-home/
Sat, 08 Sep 2018 19:49:59 +0000https://drconason.com/?p=769It’s back-to-school season and all of this hoopla can bring up a lot for anyone who struggles with body image issues or the comparison game. That holds true whether you are gearing up to go back-to-school yourself, you have children getting ready to start a new school year, or you are just a human being existing […]

]]>It’s back-to-school season and all of this hoopla can bring up a lot for anyone who struggles with body image issues or the comparison game. That holds true whether you are gearing up to go back-to-school yourself, you have children getting ready to start a new school year, or you are just a human being existing in our culture. The energy in the air can feel very similar to New Years, with high expectations for big changes and total transformations.

This year, everything is going to be different.

Pressure to go out and get a hot new first-day-of-school outfit or show up to work after your two-week vacation a few pounds lighter is high. So how can we avoid feeling like we need to measure up? Here are my three tips on getting through the fall season without falling into the comparison trap:

1. Surround yourself with peers who support your anti-dieting, no-body-shame, comparison-free way of life: The people we surround ourselves with can make or break so many of our personal goals, and moving away from body shame and comparison is no different. If your group of friends has a reputation of starting the new school year off by focusing on post-summer weight-loss goals or bragging about their lavish summer vacations in a way that definitely isn’t all-in-good-fun but rather feels like a competition, start thinking about how that affects you. Making new friends is hard, but if the people around you make your life feel empty, then having them as friends is actually going to be harder in the long run than seeking out individuals who support you and help you feel your best.

2. Don’t fall into the post-summer-body-transformation fantasy: Growing up, many of us dreamed about coming back to school after the long summer break looking completely different, shocking our bullies and being the envy of everyone around us. It’s a common fantasy, and one that is constantly encouraged through media representation (hello, Netflix’s newest “comedy”, Insatiable). But is chasing a revenge body really going to bring you lasting happiness and fulfillment? Probably not. Plus, the vast majority of dieters regain all of the weight they lost (and sometimes gain back even more!) on their diet. So we know that diets fail, that your body will eventually snap back to where it would rather be, and that being a smaller jean size doesn’t actually bring us any closer to authentic happiness. My advice? Steer clear of this trope altogether, and make it a point to challenge those around you who perpetuate this harmful narrative.

3. Make sure you’re absorbing as much anti-diet, mindfulness, and Health at Every Size messaging as possible: Having go-to HAES resources is essential for surviving through any kind of diet-culture experience, but moments like the new school year may mean it’s time to double-down on body-positive support. Have a book like Jes Baker’s Landwhale or Virgie Tovar’s just released You Have the Right to Remain Fat handy, tune-in to HAES informed podcasts like Christy Harrison’s Food Psych or Rebecca Scritchfield’s Body Kindness, and keep your social media feeds filled with body diversity and weight-inclusive accounts.

The Anti-Diet Plan signature mindfulness-based course is going online! We’ll be launching this fall exclusively to my email list subscribers and social media followers. Stay tuned for more exciting news on this new program–and don’t forget to sign-up for The Anti-Diet Plan FREE 30-day introductory course for a taste of program.

]]>5 Tips For a Body-Positive End of Summerhttps://drconason.com/5-tips-body-positive-end-summer/
Thu, 09 Aug 2018 21:18:14 +0000https://drconason.com/?p=742We’ve officially reached August, which means we are in the final stretch of summer. I don’t know about you, but while I’m trying to be mindful and enjoy where we are right now, I also can’t wait for a blast of cool Autumn air! The heat has been brutal here in NYC! But we’ve still […]

]]>We’ve officially reached August, which means we are in the final stretch of summer. I don’t know about you, but while I’m trying to be mindful and enjoy where we are right now, I also can’t wait for a blast of cool Autumn air! The heat has been brutal here in NYC! But we’ve still got a few more weeks to go and I’m hoping we can make our time in the sun as body positive as possible. Check out these 5 tips to close out your summer on a body-positive note.

Put on that bathing suit: If you’ve been too nervous to don your swimsuit and get your booty to the beach, now is your chance! There is no reason why your body needs to avoid being seen or to be covered at the pool. Unless you just don’t enjoy the water, the sand, chilled beverages, the smell of sunscreen, or laying out in the sun, there are zero real, tangible barriers stopping you from having one last swimsuit-worthy outing of the summer. We’ve stopped ourselves from having fun because we’re ashamed of our bodies for too long. If you haven’t gotten out there yet, it’s not too late! Plus, there are a TON of cute swim options out there. Check out Chromat and Swimsuits for All!

Fill your life with self-compassion: Okay, so say you just couldn’t muster up the body-image courage to go out in your swimsuit. Does that mean you’re awful and terrible at body positivity?
Absolutelynot! One of the most important mindset shifts we can make is that of self-compassion over shame and self-hatred. If we can’t do something–either because the culture has convinced us we aren’t worthy, or because our bodies simply won’t let us–that doesn’t mean we’re worthless. It just means that right now, we can’t do that thing. And that’s okay! Whether it’s about our relationship with food, our relationship with our body, or really anything else, being self-compassionate is truly key to healing and treating ourselves with care. If you’re looking for some self-compassion resources, be sure to check out Kristin Neff’s work!

Have some quick comebacks at-the-ready when some troll wants to fat-shame you (and know that you don’t have to defend yourself if you don’t want to or can’t expend that energy right now): Having some research on weight-science or go-to comebacks for ignorant comments about your body or food choices handy can be super helpful, whether you’re dealing with family and friends or strangers. Way too many people out there think that commenting on other people’s bodies and giving unsolicited nutrition and exercise advice is 100% acceptable, and this happens way too frequently to people in larger bodies. Those commenting may think they’re being helpful, but you and I both know that it’s fatphobic and discriminatory. But what do we do when we become the butt of the comment? Well, we can do nothing. We can go about our day, knowing that they are wrong and hurtful, and try to move on. Or, we can have some quick, fat-positive statements at the ready to use when we need them. Check out Ragen Chastain’s blog piece on how to respond to fat-shaming right here for some super helpful tips and a compassionate approach to this complicated experience.

Buy one last body-positive beach read: You can never have too many body-positive narratives in your life, right? Well, I for one certainly don’t think so. If you haven’t seen this blog post on my favorite body-positive beach reads for this summer, check it out and pick one up! Reading someone’s path through body positivity is one of the most profound, uplifting, validating, and inspiring things that we can do for ourselves as we try to find our own version of body acceptance.

Remember that your body is not broken… the culture is: This is key. If nothing else, hold onto this truth. The summer season can put our bodies on full display, and make body-image concerns flare up and feel like they are taking over our lives. But we have to do our best to remember that all of this shame and body hatred isn’t real. Yes, it’s real in the sense that the pain is real. The feelings are real. But the ways in which we measure body acceptability are not. They are constructed through beauty standards and diet culture and fatphobia and patriarchy and racism and so many other oppressive systems that are woven into the fabric of our society. But that doesn’t make them real, true, or an accurate reflection of what our bodies are actually worth. Your body is not broken. The culture is.

The Anti-Diet Plan signature mindfulness-based course is going online! We’ll be launching this fall exclusively to my email list subscribers and social media followers. Stay tuned for more exciting news on this new program–and don’t forget to sign-up for The Anti-Diet Plan FREE 30-day introductory course for a taste of program.